Breastfeeding in public remains a controversial topic worthy of demonstrations, laws and public outcries -- but what about breastfeeding in advertising?
South Korean marketing and communications agency Cheil Worldwide released an ad for Oreo cookies entitled "Basic Instinct," depicting a baby at his mother's breast with the tagline, 'Milk's favorite cookie.' Though many in advertising circles believe this to be a 'spec' ad, rather than one approved by Oreo's parent company Nabisco, the backlash it is producing speaks to the taboos that still exist for breastfeeding women.
This tweet is indicative of the reactions of many commenters below the original posting of the image on Ads of the World:
Behold This Absolutely Bonkers Oreo Ad From South Korea http://bit.ly/JbmZ4C #glamour #FashionNews #FashionIndustry
Others noted it would never be released in North America, due to censorship standards applied to various forms of media.
The lines being drawn on the appropriateness of breastfeeding and its affiliated nudity are often difficult to define. Facebook was recently forced to clarify its position on images of breastfeeding after removing one mother's personal photos, saying they were "sexually explicit." As the company explained in a public statement:
"The vast majority of breastfeeding photos [on Facebook] are compliant with our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and Facebook takes no action on such content. However, photos which contain a fully exposed breast, do violate our terms and may be removed if they are reported to us. These policies are based on the same standards that apply to television and print media. It is important to note that photos upon which we act are almost exclusively brought to our attention by other users who complain about them being shared on Facebook."
Whether or not the Oreo ad is for real, some breastfeeding advocates appear pleased about this step in the direction of showing breastfeeding as part of our everyday lives.
#breastfeeding imgs should be so widespread it doesn't cause a ruckus! RT @blakeeligh ad featuring #bf baby goes viral:
SEE: Dionna Ford on 9 ways Google can help to normalize breastfeeding:
